A fire on a nuclear-powered submarine at a Maine shipyard has injured seven people, including five firefighters. The sub's reactor, isolated in another part of the sub, had been shut down for a few months and was unaffected.
"The nuclear propulsion spaces were physically isolated early in the event from the forward compartment fire," according to a statement released by the shipyard.
Crews responded at about 5:40 p.m. Wednesday to the USS Miami SSN 755 at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on an island in Kittery, Maine.
After hours of battling the blaze, Rear Admiral Rick Breckenridge confirmed at a news conference on Thursday morning that the fire was extinguished and that seven people had been injured. They included shipyard firefighters, ship crew and local firefighters. All seven were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, but later released.
Breckenridge also said the fire started in the front part of the ship, which include living and command and control spaces. The cause of the fire, however, is still under investigation.
He added the the nuclear reactor "remains in a safe and stable condition." No weapons were on board.